


A Slip of the Tongue

by Vialana



Category: Kyou Kara Maou!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Realization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-09
Updated: 2008-05-09
Packaged: 2017-12-10 16:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vialana/pseuds/Vialana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuuri really hadn't meant to say what he had aloud but, now that he'd admitted it, could he really go back to ignoring it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Slip of the Tongue

Yuuri had definitely not meant to say what he had. Really. He was just flustered — faced with a situation like that who wouldn’t be? Honestly, it was the only reason he could fathom for possibly saying … Oh god, he’d actually said it. It was out there, spoken and everything. It couldn’t be taken back, couldn’t be tucked away in a dark corner of his mind and ignored. No more denying, no more avoidance, he’d said it and now he had to face the facts and all the consequences that came along with those very straightforward and unappealing facts.

Thank god Wolfram hadn’t been there to hear him say it.

“Oh, wait until I tell Lord von Bielefeld all about this!”

Of course Murata had to be witness to his ultimate downfall.

The day had started smoothly enough, getting back from Shin Makoku early enough to spend some quality time at breakfast with his family. Being a Sunday, this meant a slightly longer time together with his crazy family than usual (and with Murata there only to escalate it all) before going out to play at being a normal teenager. Yuuri was quite used to the unreality of his life in general; which was why he was not expecting normality as defined by society in his first home world (which he thought he had a handle on, formerly being a part of it himself) to trip him up.

An arcade, a place Yuuri had never spent much time frequenting before — being the rather active sports-fan he was — but had still spent enough time to know his way around to enjoy himself. Murata had spotted some classmates and dragged Yuuri along to introduce him, as was only polite. Introductions had turned to small talk and jokes and slightly longer discussions over joystick controls. All too soon, stomachs were grumbling about the long wait since breakfast and a much needed break to the nearest fast food place had been decided upon.

Yuuri had been enjoying himself. He hadn’t done something as mundane as hanging out at the arcade with classmates for what seemed like years and clung enthusiastically to the much needed break in his weird life.

Then things took a turn for the unexpected.

Kino Chise had known Murata for a year and was quite surprised to have never heard of, much less met, Shibuya Yuuri before. Murata seemed like such a nice guy, she said, but he kept to himself a lot. She was so glad to see that he did have close friends as wonderful as Yuuri.

As Yuuri was getting to know Kino, he was noticing some odd things. Things like: how far away the rest of the group was from their tiny corner booth in the restaurant and how close Kino was sitting to him and how studiously everyone was avoiding his growing panic.

It was when he felt a soft lingering brush of skin against his bare arm as Kino was saying something about a nice café she’d read about but never having the right person to go with that Yuuri made his fatal panicked mistake in trying to dissuade this nice, yet amorous, girl from pursuing her attentions any further than even vague flirting.

“I’m sorry, I have a fiancé!”

Why had he said that? There had been so many other ways to let poor Kino down gently. She had seemed so taken aback — almost offended. He had been so blunt. And loud, for that matter, considering Murata had heard him quite clearly a few tables away and began chortling and planning to ruin Yuuri’s life further. Why couldn’t he have used all those useful diplomatic skills Günter and Gwendal had been drilling into him to let Kino know that he wasn’t interested in the nicest possible way?

For that matter, why wasn’t he interested?

As Kino Chise left in a huff (her friends following in a supportive flock), Yuuri continued to ponder this oddity. He didn’t even bother responding to Murata’s comments as they paid their bill and left the restaurant. Kino was quite attractive, short and slim with a cute round face and pouting lips. She had seemed interesting enough — had a nice laugh and good sense of humour. She was the kind of girl that Yuuri had always envisioned himself with; and yet, he felt nothing but unease as she sidled up to him with obvious interest.

Perhaps he was put off by that forwardness? No, he’d never been put off by girls being forward — it was actually a little appealing. So why did he jump back at the first sign of interest? Was it just instinct for avoiding Wolfram’s inevitable tirade about his cheating ways? But, if he wasn’t even interested, then why the obvious unease with the situation? He’d had plenty of women (and men) throwing themselves at him just for being the Maou and had never felt quite so awkward before.

Maybe Shibuya Yuuri, 27th Maou of Shin Makoku, knew how to deal with unwanted admirers but Shibuya Yuuri, 1st year high school student, didn’t. Maybe it was that he still felt like that awkward 16 year old who wanted his first love to be perfect and know him completely without even having to say a word. Maybe he wanted to be that awkward 16 year old but realised that he never would be again. The people here could never understand what it was like for him to be Maou in another world.

He was afraid of becoming too involved with this world again because he knew that, inevitably, he was going to return to Shin Makoku and the life he’d made there.

Fiancé and all.

“Murata.”

Murata Ken looked over at his friend, who had been silent and obviously deep in thought for most of the walk back to his house.

“I think I’d like to go home.”

Murata looked up at the house they’d stopped outside. Yuuri followed his gaze and saw that they were indeed outside his house. He could hear his mother bustling away inside, the sounds of her happy singing emerging from the open windows. Yuuri felt his heart ache and looked back down.

“No … I mean …” He couldn’t finish but Murata understood.

“We’ll just let your mother know.”

“Thank you.”

 

 

Conrad was waiting for them with warm fluffy towels as they emerged from the fountain in the temple courtyard, dripping and soaked to the bone as usual. Wolfram and Günter were eagerly waiting just behind him.

“We certainly weren’t expecting you back quite this soon,” Conrad said as Yuuri and Murata dried off. “Not that I’m not happy to see you,” he added quickly with a sincere smile.

Murata smiled back. “Shibuya needed to be here, I think.”

“Well, at least there hasn’t been much time for you to go off gallivanting about with other people behind my back.” Everyone’s attention was drawn to Wolfram as he scowled at Yuuri.

When Yuuri didn’t reply immediately with a denial or a flippant comment and roll of his eyes, the gathered nobles looked quite concerned. Günter didn’t even protest Wolfram’s harsh accusation against his beloved Maou.

Yuuri was wondering just why he felt he’d had to rush back here. He was happy back with his family, so why the panic and desire to be back here in Shin Makoku?

He stared at Wolfram, thinking about Kino and his declaration. There was no denying Wolfram was beautiful. It was still his first thought whenever he looked at the other man — intentional or not. He was short and slim with a cute round face and full pouting lips: exactly what Yuuri had always been attracted to. His fiancé, a friend, someone he could count on in the darkest of times no matter the situation. Those times he thought Wolfram might be taken from his life forever were as agonising as the thought he might lose anyone he loved. Wolfram was special to him, not just an excuse or a fallback.

He was important and Yuuri had rushed back here just to see him, to see that he really did have a fiancé — that it was all real, that he hadn’t denied it all so hard it had vanished from existence.

Because now that he’d said it aloud he didn’t think he could live without the possibility that Wolfram would be in his future forever.

Yuuri’s silent gaze hadn’t gone unnoticed by anyone, least of all the focus of his gaze.

“Wh-what are you staring at you wimp?” Wolfram was blushing and, as Yuuri took a step forward instead of replying, he almost took a step back. “Yuuri?”

Yuuri smiled and moved closer, stepping right up to Wolfram.

“I’m home,” Yuuri whispered against Wolfram’s lips before following up with a brief gentle kiss.

The world seemed to freeze as Yuuri pulled back to stare into Wolfram’s eyes. The young lord blinked and tried to form words for a minute before shaking his head and scowling at his Maou.

“Of course you’re home, you stupid wimp. It took you long enough to get here.”

Yuuri laughed. “Yeah it did. Sorry about that.”

“You’ll just have to make up for it. It might take a while.” Wolfram huffed and turned on his heel, the motion not hiding the bright flush to his cheeks, nor the knowing, happy smiles of those gathered to witness the spectacle.

Yuuri grinned at the familiar sight of his ruffled fiancé and looked around him with bright eyes — taking in as much of the world around him as he could in that single moment.

“I think I’ll enjoy taking my time to do that,” he admitted softly.


End file.
